The friends experience

"The best journeys answer questions that you didn’t even think to ask initially."
— Jeff Johnson

Yesterday evening, we saw alliances form and heard yelling and cursing—the sounds of a very competitive game of Catan. It was fascinating to see how friendships and strategies evolved during the game. The busier the evening before, the calmer the following day.

I woke up early on September 2nd, 2024, and crawled in a comfy sweater before sneaking downstairs. I tried to make no sound not to wake our hosts, made a cup of coffee, and fed the dogs. Kiki joined me soon after. We tried a muffin D. made a few days prior—the sweet taste of love (and sugar).

It was a cold morning, especially compared to the Cambodian heat! The cold weather combined with a hot cup of coffee truly is one of the best feelings! We answered emails outside with the beautiful view and checked in with our employees while waiting for our hosts to wake up. Obviously, with dog cuddles every 10 minutes!

D. called us around noon, inviting us to eat at a local - American-style - diner for lunch. We left a note for I. and D. and navigated the Millbrook roads in an 'American Muscle car.'

We arrived on time, whilst our hosts were half an hour late. In the meantime, we chose a table and chose a meal. We firsthand experienced the cultural differences between the States, Europe, and Southeast Asia; time is money. A question at a diner was answered whilst yelling and passing by. D. taught us how to tip, and we took a lovely walk with the dogs in the park nearby. Many squirrels lived in the park; Finn, D's Golden Retriever, was chasing them all, unable to catch one and clearly frustrated because of it! He is the sweetest!

After our leisurely walk, we made our way to a shooting ranch. There, we met R., a close friend of D., who gave us a comprehensive briefing. Five minutes later, I found myself holding a shotgun, aiming at clay pigeons, my whole body trembling with excitement. The sheer sight of those powerful weapons was enough to sent shivers down my spine. And when I finally pulled the trigger, the rush was indescribable. Despite missing a few shots at first, I soon found my rhythm and managed to hit some of the targets!

People with dogs walked down the shooting lanes. We paused the shooting and dedicated 15 minutes to petting the senior dog and the little pup.

The next day, we visited the ranch where D. works. We met Tiny, the enormous horse, and a random goat and got a barn tour. We drove by the house of a dedicated Trump supporter, something you could clearly see by how his porch was decorated. It was a stark reminder of the political diversity in the US. Another culture shock—people can be so political! That evening, we enjoyed another game of Catan with pizza.

The days were filled with dear friends, exploration, adventure, board games, and good vibes. This period before the fundraiser felt like a nonstop episode of Friends. Over the next few days, the focus would shift from recovering from the jetlag to why we flew to New York: the Tomato War.